Sewing 101/hoarding

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Hi Christine

Thanks for this little sewing video. I am sure it will inspire many women to just have a go at sewing.

It made me realise how much sewing stuff I have collected over the years, and how many things I have altered and made to order. I have recently inherited my mother's sewing equipment, and have been gradually taking over fabric collection over the last decade or two. Unfortunately she no longer remembers what to do with it.

Another way of collecting stuff is to strip useful trimmings and notions from clothes that have gone in the rag bag. Secondhand zips, as long as they are not too heavily used, are especially useful, as are buttons and other fasteners, and straps and buckles off rucksacks and bags.

I have been known to buy garments from thrift shops just for the fasteners or the fabric.

And old feather and down duvets and eiderdown quilts are a bargain, just for the feathers and down. Nobody else seems to want to take them on, but I find them invaluable for topping up other duvets (and adding length onto my tall boys' duvets) and making lovely soft pillows and cushions. I have also made a cot size duvet for my Mum, just for her feet on her bed, all from fabric on hand and recycled materials. She has loved that. I hand wash them after manufacture or alteration, and spin them well. Then I hang them out on the line sideways, and just keep patting away at the lumps of feathers as they dry, and turning them upside down occasionally. As long as the weather is warm the lumps soon break up and go fluffy again.

Seam rippers rule! I now have about ten of them, counting Mum's as well! They are so easy to misplace, and so cheap to buy. I am keeping a few unpicking jobs for when I go and visit my Mum in hospital. It gives me something to do, and a focus for conversation, which is very basic these days.

I do have Mum, and her mother as well (who *really* got me started on her treadle sewing machine when I was about ten years old) to thank for my propensity for collecting recycled sewing stuff, and for passing on their knowledge and ability, and for giving me the confidence to work out for myself how to make useful things out of fabric.

I nodded in agreement when you talked about having enough stuff on hand to just whip up little projects without having to buy anything. I am a bit of a bag lady too. Bags for everything!

Now all I have to figure out is how a well brought up young lady like me managed to see through all the airs and graces and become a thrift shop addict. Little Grandma would be proud of me, actually.

Louise

Hi, Christine, Louise and everyone. It's nice to be bonded by something besides having a prolapse, and sewing is a good common interest. I loved hearing from both of you seasoned sewers, like myself, how you like to make things out of what's on hand. Me too. Last week our little grandson in Michigan (we're in Alabama) said his very first word -- fish! My husband had the idea that I should make him a stuffed fish. I had the perfect bright orange denim on hand from having just made curtains for the grandson-in-DC's room. I used that, along with some bright cotton ruffle I had made and had left over from a pillow-making project. The ruffle made top and bottom fins. I added some quick hand embroidery for the features -- I have a ton of embroidery thread on hand from earlier years plus my mom's and her friend's . We wrote our little one his first letter, which said just FISH!!, then signed it, and mailed it today. Can't wait to hear back.

Tonight I'm making myself some stretch denim jeans. I still put a gusset in all my pants, and these days I do not gather or elasticize the waist at all. I use suspenders instead, underneath my shirt! No pressure on the waist at all.

Sewing is a great way of celebrating life. I think half the battle with prolapse is remembering to cherish all that is still whole.

Thanks for the video and the topic.

Ellen

my sentiments exactly, ellen!
I have a rather large 'rag bin' full of outgrown but not hand-me-down-quality clothing. much of it has become a rather trendy stash of cloth diapers.
and yes, louise, I have taken to collecting zips, buttons, ribbing, appliques, etc from trash-bound garments. sometimes I wonder what I will ever do with all that stuff but then an opportunity arises..just today my 6 yo requested a 'soft and squishy sleeping bag' for his stuffed dog. well whaddya know, I happen to have a soft squishy shrunken sweater with hole in it. and the closure from an old laundry bag. by tomorrow eve the stuffed dog will be sleeping in style!
and old pillowcases make fabulous aprons and bibs.
the best is turning 11 dd's old clothes into outfits for the baby. and dont' forget doll clothing.
too bad I don't have more time to sew.

hey, christine - can we post pics of our sewing creations in the sewing room? love to see what everyone's up to

Great idea, Granolamom!! I will let the troops know we need a bulletin board in the sewing room - how cool!!

Ellen - how I wish we could take a field trip to watch how you put in a gusset! I will do my best with it. Wore a pair of gusseted pants to the mountains on Sunday to pick herbs and they make all the difference when squatting down. I want to start out slowly in the sewing room for those who are just learning. :)

Christine, whatever happened to the Gallery idea? Now Wholewoman is on Facebook, could we upload sewing, or other images there, or would we have to email them to you first, and you or another administrator upload them?

The gusset shouldn't be too much of a challenge. I have improved on my earlier instructions, though, by realizing that it does help to break the stitching at the seamline, as you get to the end point of the gusset.

Here's a little caution: if you are making light-colored pants, it might be best to wear a tunic top, or one long enough to shade the crotch area, as you can wind up with a perfectly-fitted crotch outlined with seams. If this doesn't make you self-conscious, then no problem. Dark colored pants don't have such an explicit look and I can wear shorter tops with those.

Ellen

For anyone just learning to sew: just take one project at a time. Don't let us seasoned sewers make you think you should accumulate fabric and notions right away. In fact it's much better, I think, not to accumulate a fabric stash early on, as you will just bring pressure on yourself. One easy garment or project at a time is the way to start out.

I have taught several children to sew, and keep an extra machine that's easy for young ones to use. It's a skill like anything else. I remember making a couple of things I couldn't wear, and being very frustrated. That phase passes quickly. And it's great to actually figure out your own body type and be able to sew things that fit. I'd rather sew than shop any day!

Ellen

Hi Ellen

That is sound advice. Walking before you crawl has its pitfalls.

When I was starting out with sewing I used to sew flat things with straight seams and hems, like potholders and sheets and blankets for my dolls' cot. Yes, I did do a few girlie things. Making bags for things that need protection during storage teaches you how to do a few basics.

1 Start with a rectangular piece of fabric twice the size of the bag you need.
2 Fold it in half and sew a straight seam up the side, turn the corner and sew along the bottom.
3 Overlock it with zigzag. Or make a french seam by trimming back the edge of the first seam to about 1/4 inch, turning the bag inside out and sewing a second seam which will cover the raw edges of the first seam. This leaves the inside of the bag neat, without loose, fraying threads. This type of seam is great for pillow slips, which you can make from the not-worn-out sides of a worn sheet.
2 Sew a 2 inch wide hem with the edge turned under, on the top, to make a casing and leave a 1 1/2 inch gap between the beginning and the end of the circle, so you can thread a cord through it.
3 Sew a second line of stitching about halfway between the hem and the doubled over top of the bag. This makes a narrower casing for the cord, but it is easier to pull the cord up, and leaves a nice, simple trim on the top. You can get sophisticated with the way you have the cord coming out of the casing, but it is not necessary.

Another simple task is to go to the summer fabric shop sales and buy remnants of linen shirting fabric or a bit heavier. Rip into generous tea towel sizes and hem around the edge. These tea towels are very absorbent! Any sized piece of cotton fabric too small for tea towels can be hemmed around the edge to make kitchen cloths. I use these to wrap vegetables before putting them in a plastic bag in the fridge. They absorb condensation and keep the veges away from the plastic. The other obvious use for the fabric square is flannelette reusable nappies.

Ripping woven fabric instead of cutting it keeps the edges on the grain of the fabric, so the hems are straight. I like to always rip the cut ends from fabric I purchase for my own dressmaking, which ensures that the grain is straight when I lay the pattern on it. Once you sew your own garments you will realise the importance of this tip, because it ensures that the garment hangs properly. Be warned, you will never be happy with clothes off the rack again, because industrial cutters cannot be as careful as this with squaring up their fabric.

It also makes cutting out patterns with square pieces very easy, accurate and quick.

I still consider myself a novice, and still have trouble making clothes that fit me well. I dont' have the time/concentration right now to perfect my fitting skills so I stay away from doomed-to-fail projects.
right now, my project list includes diapers (of course), an apron, and some shopping bags. oh, and a few knitting bags. I like your idea about wrapping veggies, louise. I have plenty of old sheets that I can see upcycled for that purpose!
I went through an apron phase a few years ago, was making them as gifts and all the recipients are requesting new ones. fit is not an issue and its a bit more interesting to sew than just flat squares. so maybe a just-right project for someone who's no longer very new to sewing.

and you are so right, louise! forget about manufacturers not always being able to square the grain, sometimes they don't bother because it they can use less fabric if no attention is paid to grain lines. drives me crazy! and you know people think 'whats wrong with my body - this looks awful on me!' when the fault lies in manufacturing cost-cutting.